Latest PStrip gives misinformation on W2k

[Buuri]

I was quite ashtonished by the latest PowerStrip claiming 2X transfers on my G200 + P5A on W2k. It didn't take me too long to understand that was false - not only because 2X never works stable on 98, but because I have disable that in my mobo BIOS!

So, I just wanted to give you heads up on this so you wouldn't loose any sleep for any oddies it may give you

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[Ashley]

You might want to take just a little more time and check your system with WCPUID which you can download from http://www.h-oda.com.

W2K can happily override some BIOS settings.

[Buuri]

Ashley, I guess I owe you an apology because WCPUID claimed 2X as well.

This however makes me mad. No wonder I can't get the Matrox beta drivers to work! 2X has never been stable in my system and if I can't disable that from BIOS, what am I supposed to do!

And I liked W2k.. now this..

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[Ashley]

I never thought anyone might have a use for this one, but since you've installed the PowerStrip anyway, here's another undocumented switch:

PStrip.exe /AGP:OFF


[This message has been edited by Ashley (edited 27 January 2000).]

[Buuri]

Thanks Ashley!
But how does those AGP switches in PS work? I mean, do they take place when PS loads up? Because then it's too late while my system (with Matrox driver) has probably crashed already..
(it happens just about as soon as desktop appears)

(3 mins later) Ok I tried to fiddle with those switches and while the 2X was on again after a reboot, I don't have much hope that PS would solve my problem

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[This message has been edited by Buuri (edited 27 January 2000).]

[Ashley]

The switches write directly to both the AGP master and target hardware registers. Everything gets reset to the BIOS defaults when you reboot.

Since the display driver is already initialized before the PowerStrip is run, the trick is to get the PS as close as possible to the top of the Windows loading order. Changing the AGP configuration after AGP transfers have been initialized isn't going to work unless everything else re-initalizes as well.

If you haven't already tried this, one other, non-PS related possibility is to set your AGP aperture as small as possible - W2K doesn't seem to override that setting, and if set too low AGP transfers may be automatically disabled.

[Buuri]

Thanks for the tips, but unfortunately I wasn't even able to get to any icons when my system halted. I tried PS with AGP OFF and 1X switches running at startup but it didn't help.

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[jms]

Try setting AGP aperture size to 4MB in the BIOS. This is the only way I can manage to get Win2k to run with my G400.
-jm

[Buuri]

Thanks, but the lowest setting my BIOS has (which BTW is the latest version) is 16MB, which unfortunately isn't low enough for W2k to stop using AGP (2X).
And that is what this pretty much comes down to - I'm not able to block AGP, so rainbow for desktop is all I've got for now..

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[Scytale]

So... then the only thing left is to disable G400 busmastering alltogether, right?

[Buuri]

I decided to give it a one more shot. I discovered taht I was able to get it running by setting 640x480x256 before installing Matrox driver. Then, after reboot, I set busmastering off and desktop to normal size.
Started it up again, and behold, it works. AGP 2X, but no bus mastering that is.

I guess that's some kind of a happy ending.

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